I consider myself a power user and I love the update. If I was a new user, this would be the easiest app to learn. Light + airy with better UI design. Ftr, I’m almost over the fact that I can’t skip stories anymore.

I also look at updates through the lens of a marketing director who may/may not want to spend $$ on the platform. And if you haven’t seen the latest trend data, eMarketer reported Snapchat’s userbase (150M) surpassed Twitter, and Pinterest is next.

My quick POV:

Consumer: It doesn’t shift or interrupt my user experience– in fact, I love the new Discover UI– it reminds of Flipboard.

Last week my friend Doreen asked me to present something about digital at her ad agency’s cultural event titled #UrbanPharming. I chose to pull together a few trends that intersect with digital and social culture.

Last week I spent a few days at the inaugural SoDA Academy held at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn which featured a well curated 2-day curriculum of content designed by Farrah Bostic (brilliant planner/strategist).

A lot of people sometimes say conferences are a waste of time, especially the didactic kind where people talk at you for 2 days (eg: snooze fest)—however SoDA was designed as an immersive, workshop style—my fav.

It’s all about what you want to get out of it. I often attend professional summits/sessions for these 3 reasons:

Validate what I’m currently doing is on point

Uncover micro trends, cultural shifts and new approaches to solving creative business challenges